Alex had a terminal Cancer diagnosis and thought she would die before she got to be the girl she always was inside. That all changes when she's in the wrong place at the right time and gets transported to another world and into the body of a girl. So what if she's not human, she's alive and a girl. Now if only she had her sister with her to navigate this new world and her new responsibilities. Wait, she's here too? The passage of their souls between worlds may have doomed the Earth to apocalypse, but Alex and Michelle won't be there to see it and they have enough problems on their hands.
 

 

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 6 of the rewrite of Alex in Wonderland. There are enough changes and additions to this chapter from the original that this one is again a longish chapter. It took a lot longer than I was expecting to get this chapter ready to post. Thanks to my readers and to BCTS for giving their support of Transgendered authors and fiction. ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 6: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Jezz wasted no time in obeying my request, leaning forward until our lips met. At first, it was a little bit awkward, to be honest. I think that was partly my fault, though, as we explored each other’s lips and the most expedient way to make it enjoyable for both of us. In part, though, it was also simply a matter of biology and logistics.

For one thing, Cinoles like Jezz are small, and she was, like, a good foot and a half shorter than I was when she wasn’t using her wings to give her some extra height. It wasn’t a matter of height since we were both currently lying down on my bed; it was more of a matter of scale. Her mouth and lips just weren’t as big as mine, and I had a slight feline muzzle and tongue to complicate things as well. Add in that I didn’t have any experience kissing at all in this body yet, and yeah, it was a bit clumsy and awkward for both of us at first. So, it took us a while to find a way to kiss that worked well for both of us and that we could mutually enjoy.

Once we got past that initial awkward exploring, found a rhythm, and started to get into it, though, that kiss felt incredible. It was like the more I could feel her enjoying it, the more I enjoyed it. And the more I enjoyed it, the more she did, and so on, until it was like there was an explosion of pleasure and passion in my mind, and we broke apart, both of us panting heavily.

It was when I was coming out of the daze that followed that I noticed Chrissy was lying on my pillow with a similar look of bliss on her face as was pasted on Jezz's face, and probably my own as well. I could sense that feeling of giddy satisfaction from both of them as well. Even Michelle felt like it, deep in the back of my mind.

When I finally felt like my heart was merely racing, instead of chaotically vibrating and about to explode in my chest, I took Jezz's hand in mine again and thought, ~What the hell was that?~

Jezz couldn't seem to wipe the smile off her face, and she let out a happy sigh. ~Amazing is what it was. That was the best kiss ever.~

Michelle's voice popped in. ~Whatever it was, Grayle and I felt it too. She has this dopey grin on her face. I thought I told you two to keep it down.~ She wasn't as grouchy as she was trying to make us believe, though, and I could feel it in her mind. She was still coming down from whatever that was, too.

Grayle obviously didn't believe her either as she put in, ~Like you don't have the same look on your face. That felt very nice.~

~Okay, we all agree that it was the best kiss ever. I almost feel like I need a cigarette. Even Chrissy is in happy land over this.~ I thought toward them all.

~You need a what?~ Jezz asked in confusion. I guess people don't smoke in the Greylands.

~Don't you dare even joke about that, Alex!~ The raw anger in Michelle's voice made me almost leap off the bed. ~I lost you once because of smoking, and I'm not about to do it again!~

I tried to calm her down. ~Whoa! Cool down, Sis! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have joked about that. What I meant is, why did a simple kiss...~

~The best kiss ever,~ Jezz interjected with a giggle and another happy sigh.

I sighed. ~Okay, why did “the best kiss ever” between me and Jezz make all four of us, and apparently Chrissy too, feel like we just had the best sex of our lives? And if that's just a kiss, even if it was the best kiss ever, then what would happen if we tried something more?~

Jezz, her eyes half-closed in contentment, just smiled at me. ~Want to try and find out?~

I looked at the Cinole, lying on her belly on the bed in front of me, and swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. I could just see the tops of her breasts peeking out from her camisole, and her legs were bent at the knees, waving her feet in the air, causing her skirt to ride up ever so slightly. Between that, the very sultry smile on her face, and the post-kiss bliss, I was feeling just a little hot under the collar and could feel my nipples getting hard, all six of them. ~As tempting as that is... oh damn, is that tempting right now... I don't think we should until we know what caused this. I wouldn't want any of our heads to explode.~

Amongst the four of us, we decided to wait until I could talk to Patar about my Gifts before trying anything further or risking a repeat of the best kiss ever, or something similar. So, as much as I didn't like it, Jezz went to her room for the night, while I took a warm bath before going to sleep. The warm fuzzies of the kiss, followed by the bath, had me so relaxed that I fell asleep nearly instantly.

I was flying. More accurately, the massive Drakan with silvery scales and iridescent wings that I was riding was flying. Far below us was a seemingly endless expanse of sand. The feeling of flying didn't give me the same thrill it did before; I was too focused on the black line in the distance. As we got closer, the line resolved itself into people wearing armor and marching in formation. Several carried a black flag with an eclipsed moon on it, a symbol that I didn’t recognize, but which made me feel extremely uncomfortable for some reason I couldn’t explain.

I wondered how they could be comfortable in the desert wearing armor and black cloaks as I looked down at the seemingly endless line. I kept expecting them to look up and point at us, but for some reason, they didn't seem to notice us at all. The people were all Human, and while many of them were walking, there were also formations of them riding Machuls and horses, and wagons of supplies being pulled along. In some of those wagons rode Human men and women in black robes, who I somehow knew were Gifted.

We flew to the end of the line, far too long for my liking, and then we turned about and flew back across the desert until the sand gave way to rock, then soil and farmland. Soon, we were back at the capital and circling the palace as we lowered our altitude. We landed in one of the larger courtyards and were greeted by Jezz, who looked older somehow. No, not older, she was weary, and she was wearing a tiara much like my own. “How bad is it m' love?” she asked.

~ ~ ~

Suddenly, I was flying once more, atop that great radiant Drakan, over a great range of mountains this time. Ahead, shadows were passing over the mountains, shadows not caused by Drakans or clouds. These shadows were the result of the great ships that sailed through the skies over the mountains, ships bearing the black eclipse as their sails. We landed atop a plateau some distance away, where many Drakans of the various flying types waited, a grizzled-looking Patar and Runne among them. I dismounted and walked toward the others, and Patar asked, “What is your plan, my Queen?”

~ ~ ~

We were flying once again, over the fields and farms of Azure. Dodging and weaving as Thaumaturges threw balls of fire, lightning, and great lances of stone at the Drakans in the sky around us. Stone and Earth Drakans fought them, and their black-clad troops, on the ground alongside soldiers of all races. In the sky, we rained terror upon them in the forms of fire, ice, lightning, water, and whatever large projectiles we could drop on them. I fired arrows into their midst whenever I could manage a clear shot. Fields once filled with food meant to give life were now littered with the bodies of the dead.

I awoke screaming in the dark and sat in my bed sobbing for several minutes, the dreams still fresh in my mind. As I sat there, trembling, I could not seem to get those dreams out of my mind, or Itari's words to me from yesterday: We can no more see the future than you can, Alexis. We see flashes here and there, various possible outcomes, but all we can do is follow our hearts and hope for the best. That is all the advice that I can give you. I shivered and held Chrissy in my arms for a while as I waited for the sun to rise. Her warmth and presence in my arms were appreciated, and I could feel that she was almost as scared as I was. Perhaps my scream had frightened her.

We both were somewhat calmer when dawn began to paint the sky outside my windows in shades of red, orange, and gold. By that time, both Chrissy and I were getting hungry, and I could feel Michelle stirring in the back of my mind as well, so I decided that I might as well get dressed and start the day properly. I certainly wasn’t going to try to go back to sleep with those dreams still dominating my mind.

Yeah, it was probably a good idea to get my day started in an attempt to distract myself, and besides, I had to pee anyway. So, I headed to the lavatory and once I was done with my morning business, I started looking for something to wear. The outfit I chose was a nice emerald-colored sundress with matching sandals, and proper underclothes to go with it, since the weather had been turning progressively warmer since I had arrived. I was thinking that it must be the end of spring, and summer was coming, as I began to get dressed and rang for Felice.

I had barely finished dressing before Felice arrived with my breakfast. “Oh, you look lovely this morning, Your Highness. Shall we braid your hair today, or would you prefer it loose?”

I considered the options for a moment before replying, “I think that we should go with a braid today. I have no idea what I'll be up to, and I don't want my hair getting in the way. Unless there's something planned today that I've forgotten, is there? Is Patar back from border patrol yet? I need to speak with him about a few things today.”

She smiled at me, and it struck me that we Zenin are adorably cute when we smile. She replied, “No, Your Highness, there are no official functions today. Sir Patar returned late last night, and he has requested an audience with you and Lady Jezz to discuss your training schedules.”

“Good,” I responded, “there are some matters and training concerns that I need to speak with him about. Could you get something for Chrissy to eat while I have my breakfast, Felice? She seems to be used to eating whenever I am.”

My maid chuckled as she took the domed silver lid off my breakfast, revealing my breakfast tray and a small silver bowl filled with shredded meat and berries. “I expected that, Your Highness, so I took the liberty of bringing Chrissy's breakfast up along with yours.” She took the bowl and placed it on the floor beside my breakfast table.

Chrissy leaped off the bed and affectionately nuzzled Felice's leg before digging in, humming happily as she ate. I just shook my head and smiled. “Felice, you know me too well. Thank you.” Then I too started to tuck into my breakfast of broiled fish, scrambled eggs, bread with sweet butter, and rillfruit juice. Once I was finished, Felice began to brush out and braid my hair, which gave me some time to mentally check on Michelle. ~Sis, how are you feeling this morning?~

~Not as good as last night,~ she joked, ~but I'm eating and feeling pretty good, aside from a bit of itchiness. How are you this morning, Alex? It feels like you're worried. Is it about what happened last night?~

I had to resist shaking my head in response. ~No. I had some disturbing dreams last night. Those, combined with something that Itari said to me yesterday, are bothering me. Thinking about it now, it was like She was dropping a very subtle hint the way that She said it.~

~What did she say?~ Michelle asked.

I sighed as I watched Felice begin to braid my hair in the mirror. ~I had asked Her why the other Gods hadn't tried to prevent Her brother Lharus from misusing His power. She answered that They can no more see the future than I can. She even used my name to stress the point. She said They get flashes of possible outcomes, but nothing definitive, and that all They, or we, can do is what feels right and hope for the best.~

~You think that you were seeing the future?~ Michelle asked, her thoughts a bit confused.

~I think that I was seeing possible futures,~ I clarified, barely keeping from shuddering. ~And they weren't good.~ The events from my dreams replayed through my mind as I thought about them. This time, a shudder did quake through my body on the heels of the chill running down my spine.

~That's what you dreamed of?!~ Michelle practically screamed in my mind. ~If those truly were possible futures, Alex, that's very bad!~

“Are you alright, Your Highness?” Felice asked, her face a mask of concern in the mirror.

I gave her a weak smile. “I'm fine, I just remembered a bad dream that I had last night. I'll be fine once I can talk to Patar and Jezz.” Then I thought toward Michelle, ~Bad doesn't begin to describe it. You seemed to be full-grown, or close to it, in those dreams, so we probably have some time, I think, but I would feel a lot better if we start preparing now. Nothing obvious, but maybe start considering countermeasures.~

~What sort of countermeasures?~ Michelle inquired.

~Well, for one thing,~ I mentally grumbled, ~we'll need to figure out a way to take down those airships, or whatever they are, in case that comes to pass. For another, I'll need a better long-distance weapon than a bow and arrows if we ever need to fight from the air.~

At that point, Felice had finished braiding my hair and placed my tiara atop my head. “Is there anything else that you require before I send for Sir Patar and Lady Jezz, Your Highness?”

With thoughts of needing a better long-range weapon fresh in my mind, I nodded. “Please tell the Royal Enchanter that I would like to speak with him as soon as he has the time.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” she replied with a curtsy before taking Chrissy's empty bowl and my breakfast tray, covering them again with the silver dome, and leaving the room.

When Felice escorted Patar and Jezz into my suite, I raised my hand to keep Patar from speaking a word. “Felice, please see to it that we aren't interrupted. We may all need to take lunch in here today as well. We have a lot to discuss. Also, please come let me know when the Royal Enchanter has time to join us.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” my maid replied dutifully before leaving to ensure our privacy.

Patar raised an eyebrow as she left the room. “All business this morning, are you?”

I merely shrugged as I told him, “We have a lot to discuss this morning.” Then I gave both him and Jezz a long look before adding, “And Gifts and training are just the tip of the iceberg.”

Then I began to describe my dreams from the night before, in as much detail as possible. They both listened carefully, and Jezz blushed a bit at her appearance in the first dream. Finally, once I was finished, Patar gave me a searching look. “The symbol of the black eclipse on a black background is the symbol of the God Lharus and the Lharusian Empire. Have you seen it before in your studies with Jezz? They are just nightmares, Princess. You are probably just nervous about becoming Queen someday.”

I shook my head. “I thought they were just nightmares at first as well, but I've never seen that symbol before those dreams. Yesterday I was speaking with Itari, and She said something that is making me wonder about those dreams.”

“The Gods don't interfere in the lives of mortals, Princess,” Patar said, shaking his head.

“That's what She told me," I agreed, "but when I asked about Lharus, and why the Gods didn't prevent Him from interfering and abusing His powers, She told me something else. She said, and I quote, ‘We can no more see the future than you can, Alexis. We see flashes here and there, various possible outcomes, but all we can do is follow our hearts and hope for the best. That is all the advice that I can give you.’ The way that She said it, and the timing of these dreams, seems just a little too convenient.”

Patar sighed as a frown settled upon his bear-like face. “That is concerning, and prophecy does rarely occur in Diviners. Do you truly think that Itari was trying to warn you?”

I looked out the window toward the courtyard and shrugged. “The Gods don't interfere in the lives of mortals directly, but I think indirectly interfering is another matter entirely. Itari and Selune may regret not having stopped Lharus before. I certainly got that feeling while talking with Itari. This may be Their way of making amends.”

“Drek!” Patar cursed vehemently. “If the Gods are choosing to interfere in the mortal world, even indirectly, your dreams may not be far off the mark. There may be hard times ahead for all of us. That is even more reason to get you girls properly trained in Healing and the other things you'll need to learn. Have you had any Gifts besides prophecy showing up?”

I told him, as briefly as I could, about the empathy and telepathy that I had discovered the day before, and then we awkwardly explained about the best kiss ever. Jezz and I were both blushing at that point, at least I had fur to hide mine. Poor Jezz wasn’t so lucky, and her cheeks were bright red.

For the next few candlemarks, he had me try various things at various distances or when touching. According to Patar, my Gift for telepathy and mind-reading was only by touch. So it was not terribly powerful, but it would allow me to have quiet conversations with people I was touching, and anyone who they are telepathically linked to. We tried it with Runne, as well as with my mother, while Patar opened a mind link with her, and it worked fine both times.

My empathy was another matter and seemed to work equally well with animals and people. We discovered that I had a range of about fifty feet and that I was both a receptive and projective empath. What this meant was that, not only could I sense what other people were feeling, but I could also, when concentrating, make others feel what I wanted them to feel. It was easier with animals, but I could do it with people as well if I tried hard enough. Patar believed that this also happens if I'm feeling really strong emotions and not thinking about keeping them from leaking out. That was the reason that Chrissy was all blissed out after the best kiss ever.

Patar figured that the reaction of the kiss itself was due to an emotional feedback loop. Basically, I was receiving Jezz's emotions and sending mine to her, but amplified by hers, then getting more back, sending it again, and so on until the pleasure centers of our brains overloaded, giving us a sort of mental orgasm. I still had a lot of practice ahead of me to learn to control it all, but at least now I knew what I had to work with. Until then, keeping things to just kissing, for now, was likely to keep me and Jezz both satisfied until we were ready for more.

Once we were done figuring out my Gifts, we sat down again to discuss our training. Patar looked us both over thoughtfully as he began to speak. “I think we will start with your Healing studies first thing in the mornings, then we can move on to lessons in geography, history, and the things that Princess Alexis will need to know as heir, and later as Queen.” He gave the two of us a wink as he added, “And it may be a good thing for you to be learning these things as well, Jezz.” She blushed fiercely at that but nodded in agreement as Patar added, “You will be taking all your lessons together, and Larane will be your Healing instructor, while I will instruct you in everything else.”

“Well, that sounds easy enough,” I commented with a nod, “but I was thinking I should probably learn something that will keep me alive if a war does happen.”

“Hold on,” Patar said with a grin, “I was getting to that. After a break for lunch, I will teach you about survival in different areas of the Greylands, and after that, you will both be learning everything that I can teach you about combat. Princess, you will be learning the sword and probably the bow. Jezz, your people aren't built for close quarters fighting, so we may have to concentrate on long-range for you, maybe bows and the like, but having a sword or dagger would be good too.”

“Aye, Unca Patar, I dun ‘ave ay Gifts but Healin’ so I guess I should learn ta use a dagger a’ least,” Jezz replied with a thoughtful frown.

Patar nodded in approval. “If enemies get too close, then Grayle can fight them if she has to, but I want you both to know this: Don't let enemies get close. Your Drakans will protect you if it comes to that, but they are not invincible. Sadly, neither of your Drakans has offensive skills either, other than what comes with their teeth, claws, and tails. As their Chosen, it is your job to protect them, as much as it is theirs to protect you.”

We both gave a determined nod at that. Nobody was going to get close enough to hurt Michelle if I could help it. “I may have an idea for a better weapon than a bow. I was wondering, though, what exactly are Michelle's and Grayle's abilities?”

“Well,” Patar began thoughtfully, “both of them have size going for them. Radiants are the largest of the Drakans, with Shadows close behind, and Earth Drakans are not far behind them in size. Sheer size can count in a fight, longer reach with their tails and necks, and such, and they should be strong too. Other than that, as an Earth Drakan, Grayle breathes a form of Nature magic that looks a lot like sunlight and can help plants grow and stay healthy. Her saliva can heal most wounds and poisons and can be used with other ingredients by Healers to make tonics and such. She should be useful to you both as Healers, but only her size and her hard scales make her useful in combat.”

Jezz's eyes lit up at the mention of Grayle's usefulness to Healers. “I guess we were well-matched after all. I dun need a flyin' Drakan but 'un that can help with Healin' is perfect fer me.”

I nodded as I agreed, “She'll be great to have around once we start making potions and stuff. She can keep our healing herbs and other plants healthy, too. So what about Michelle? What does she have going for her, other than her size?”

Patar grinned at me. “Radiants and their Chosen are the best spies in the Greylands, though Shadows come a close second.”

I crossed my arms and glared at him for teasing me. “You just said they're the biggest of the Drakans, how could something so big and shiny possibly make a good spy?”

He just kept grinning as he said, “It’s simple, Radiants control light, or rather, they bend light to suit their purposes. They can bend light around themselves to become invisible. They can make others invisible, too, though it is easier if the person is wearing clothes made from their scales. With enough practice, imagination, and concentration, they can create illusions as well.”

I blinked as I remembered something. “So we'd be perfect to do advanced scouting, like in my dream. They'd never see us coming.”

A knocking at the door interrupted our conversation at that point, and Felice stepped inside with two other palace servants carrying trays, “Your lunch, Your Highness. Also, Galan, the Royal Enchanter, has said that he will meet with you after lunch if it is convenient.”

I nodded at my maid eagerly. “Thank you, Felice. Please place the trays on the table and tell Galan that after lunch would be wonderful, we'll be waiting for him here.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” she replied as she and the other servants placed the trays on my breakfast table and curtsied before once again leaving us alone.

Once they had left, we all sat at the table, and I gave Chrissy her lunch while we settled in for ours. Patar looked at me from across the table and queried, “What do you need the Royal Enchanter for?”

I finished a bite of my steak, swallowing it. I wasn't sure what animal it came from, but it was delicious and tasted similar to beef. “You mentioned us needing long-range weapons, and I was thinking the same. A bow just isn't practical while flying, though, even with my vision, accuracy with it at higher altitudes would be near impossible. And Jezz won't be able to use the stronger bows; she's too small and not strong enough. Besides, I think Jezz and I are going to need something with a little more stopping power.” I took another bite of the steak and some of the potatoes and gravy as I watched for his reaction.

He nodded as he finished a bite of his meal. “You have valid points, Princess. I take it that you have something else in mind?”

I took a sip of my sweet milk to wash down another bite of the steak before answering, “I do. There are long-range weapons in my world that are pretty easy to use, and I'm hoping that Galan will be able to work with a blacksmith and create something similar, possibly with some modifications. There are different types for different purposes. I'm thinking of a smaller one-handed model for Jezz and maybe for me as well, and a larger, long-range model for when I'm flying. It could be something to give those of us who aren't Thaumaturges an edge in battle, and half a chance if we have to fight a Thaumaturge. I doubt that I'd be able to get close enough to stick a sword in one of them if they decided to use a distance spell on me first, so I'm hoping to even the odds.”

“So, you are thinking that if we have some of these weapons of yours that we will have a better chance of victory?” Patar asked.

I nodded, asking a question in return.“How does the Empire fight a war?”

Patar quickly replied, “Mostly they use ground troops armed with swords and spears. Each unit of fifty is commanded by one or more Thaumaturges, who will attack the more important or larger targets such as Drakans or other Thaumaturges. Sometimes they use shifters as spies to find a weakness or prime targets, and Wind Walkers to turn the weather to their advantage.”

“Right. So, I figure that if we have a way to take out their heavy hitters, then that leaves our heavy hitters open to do their thing, at least until they realize what we're doing and start taking measures to counter it. Then we only have to deal with their troops, while the rest of their Thaumaturges have their hands full with our own and our Drakans. They may outnumber us, but if we get organized right, send out Radiants and Shadows as spies before battles, have our fliers attack from above, use the terrain to our advantage, and come up with decent strategies, we could hold our own.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Patar said grimly, “I guarantee if war does come to us, it will not be. Should they manage to make it into Azure, they will not stop until we are all dead.”

“Or they are,” I added. “This is exactly why we’ll need every advantage we can get.”

Jezz looked up from her meal and nodded. “Hopefully we'll have plenty o’ time t' prepare.”

Patar looked thoughtful as he considered my suggestions. “Still, it cannot hurt to step up border patrols and see about training a defense force now before it is too late. Perhaps some long-range scouting, too. We will have to inform their Majesties about your dreams and the possibility of war sometime in the future.”

The rest of lunch was a quiet affair, though the lunch itself was delicious. Soon, though, Felice and the other servants came to take the trays and inform us of the arrival of the Royal Enchanter. Galan was a short Human with shaggy brown hair and blue eyes who had broad shoulders and was just a tiny bit overweight. He was a friendly and jovial sort, though, and I liked him almost as soon as I met him. “You asked for my services, Your Highness? What can I do for you today?”

I quickly sketched out a few designs based on a handgun, a shotgun, and a rifle. I never really cared much for guns, but on Earth, my father was a big gun enthusiast. He taught me all about them and took me to the shooting range, hoping to do some male bonding. I had hated every minute of it, but I still remembered what I learned. Once I was done sketching, I explained to him the purpose of each type, how they worked, what each piece did, and the difference between bullets and shotgun shells. Sadly, I didn't know how to make gunpowder.

Galan seemed intrigued by the designs and figured that he could probably create something similar using several enchantments on the different parts. The hard part would be making the parts and combining them, but he figured that our blacksmith would be able to make the individual pieces. Then he and the blacksmith could put the pieces together into a working whole, and he could enchant what parts needed it.

He also figured that he could use an extremely powerful blast of air to launch projectiles, rather than the explosive method of gunpowder. This could allow them to construct the weapons out of much lighter-weight materials and avoid the use of shell casings altogether. Well, it could work; air guns were a thing, too, after all.

If Galan could somehow manage to create even a rudimentary version of a gun that used air to fire and had the punch I was looking for using spells any time soon, it would be a very pleasant surprise. I had my doubts, but he was willing to give it a try. He rapidly jotted down notes on both the designs for the pistol and sniper rifle, his eyes alight with ideas. Buckshot, and thus shotguns, were quickly discarded as impractical since they would require shell casings and an extra enchantment, so we focused on the other two designs.

Once we had designs that Galan and Patar were both happy with, Patar dragged us down to the courtyard that served as a weapons practice yard and host to our palace blacksmith. The blacksmith, a massive grey Jiquar, looked up at our approach. “Hello there, Patar. Ah, I see that Her Highness is with you today. What can I do for you?”

Patar greeted him with a slap on the back. “Kardis, this is Princess Alexis, of course, her companion Jezz, and you know Galan. First, I need the finest sword you can make for Princess Alexis; she needs a blade befitting her status. We'll need a good dagger for Jezz as well, since both of these girls need to learn how to fight if they are to be proper Chosen. Second, Her Highness had some ideas for something a bit better than a bow, and Galan will need your help forging all of the pieces.”

Kardis nodded as his face broke into a grin and he offered, “I have just the thing for our Princess.” He went into the back of the forge and came out with a long leather-wrapped package. “I figured with Her Highness getting Chosen that she would be needing a proper blade. You will not find a finer blade in all of Azure, I assure you.”

He unrolled the package, revealing a sturdy-looking black leather belt and a sheathed bastard sword and dagger. The sheaths were of the same black leather, with gold ornamentation and decorative emeralds. The hilts of both blades were steel with gold inlay, and large emeralds in the pommels, while the guards and the blades were a polished silvery gray and looked very sharp.

I picked up the sword and hefted it experimentally, my eyes widening in surprise. “It's so light. I expected it to be heavier.”

The blacksmith nodded. “I had Galan enchant it to make it lighter. Between that and the balance, you shouldn't have any problems with it. If you need either of them sharpened or repaired, bring them to me, but I guarantee you that it is the strongest blade that I have ever forged. The dagger is of fine quality as well.”

I smiled at Kardis. “These are beautiful, Kardis. Could you make a similar short sword for Jezz? If it's light enough and made for her size, it may be better than a standard dagger for her.”

He smiled, bowing his head slightly. “I would be happy to, Your Highness. I will make the blade as fine as your own.”

At that point, Patar brought out the designs for Kardis to look at, and we discussed how he could go about making the parts. Without the requirement of a gunpowder reaction to propel the bullets, it was decided that we would use a lighter yet durable alloy to make the guns easier to handle, but still sturdy enough in case they were dropped or otherwise bumped around.

Once we were finished talking with Kardis, Patar began to give me my first lessons with a sword. We used lightweight practice swords, and he began by showing me various thrusts, blocks, parries, what stance I should be standing in, and how to take advantage of my superior agility and sense of balance. It was a long, hard workout, and by the end, I had worked up a really good sweat. I was a very tired Zenin by dinner time.

At dinner, Patar and I brought up the subject of my new Gifts with my parents, and by extension, my dreams. They were not happy with that news at all and began to make plans to quietly form a defense force and send out regular spy missions to keep an eye on the empire. After dinner, Jezz and I lay on my bed holding hands, as we and our Drakans talked about the day’s events and what we were going to have to do to prepare ourselves for the possible futures that I had seen. We were going to be very busy girls for some time, it would seem.

Almost two weeks, or rather two sevensuns, had passed since my dreams, and I had yet to experience another. Jezz and I had settled into the routine that Patar had decided on for us and spent our evenings together in my rooms studying, talking with our Drakans, or sometimes just kissing and cuddling. I was beginning to get some measure of control over my empathy, and our kissing now only caused mental fireworks when we got very amorous. I was nowhere near fully controlling my Gifts yet, but I was making a good start.

I was also learning more and more about my new home each day. Patar was a good teacher, though he pushed us mercilessly when putting us through combat training. Occasionally, though, he would give us an afternoon off and encourage us to go into the city and do some shopping or play with Michelle and Grayle in their courtyard. The shopping trips were a bit scary for me at first, and we needed guards since a lot of people wanted to talk to the Princess. Not that being in the palace with spare time was any better, as there I had hopeful nobles wanting to introduce me to their sons, and sometimes their daughters.

Our Drakans were growing steadily, both over twice their birth size now, and moving around more on their own. They were a long way from their full size, but seeing as they were only two and a half weeks old, I thought that they were making good progress. We would soon have to think of preparing a place for them to live other than the courtyard because, unlike Michelle, Grayle wouldn’t be able to fly in and out once they were full-grown. There was a large area of bare land on the island behind the palace, but we would need to make it comfortable for them both.

They had both shed their scaly skins during that first growth spurt, and the castle seamstresses were working on making the thick scale-covered hides into bodysuits, gloves, and boots for Jezz and me. I had also suggested a hooded cloak for me, to take full advantage of Michelle’s Radiant scales. If they didn’t have enough to work with, then they would make the rest of the clothes and spares when the Drakans shed again. I once joked with Michelle, ~We’re twins, so how come I’m getting your hand-me-downs?~

Jezz and I had just finished lunch one afternoon when Patar and Galan knocked on the door to my rooms. I was expecting our usual survival training and was a bit confused to see Galan there. “Hello, Galan, it’s nice to see you again.”

“Good afternoon, Your Highness. At Kardis’ request, I enchanted Jezz’s sword and dagger the same as I did yours, and I thought that I would bring them by.”

I smiled at the Enchanter. “That was very sweet of you, Galan, but you didn’t need to come here just for that; we could have picked them up.”

“I did have another reason for coming, Your Highness,” Galan admitted with a smile. "The items that Kardis and I were working on for you are ready. Patar and I were thinking that you and Jezz would like to come down to the practice yard and test them.”

I quickly nodded. “I’m eager to see if you were able to make them work like I was hoping.” I still had my doubts about getting the necessary punch while using just wind to launch projectiles.

Jezz and I got to our feet and followed Patar and Galan down to the practice yard, where some large wood and straw practice targets had been set up on the far wall. Once we were there, Patar placed the large canvas package he was carrying on the ground and unrolled it. Inside was what looked like a long-barreled rifle over three feet in length, with a metal tube mounted on top, and two smaller packages, which, when unrolled, revealed two handguns of different sizes. The guns were all silvery-grey in color, and the rifle boasted a black wooden stock.

“How did you get them to look so much like the designs I sketched?” I asked. “I was expecting something more… primitive, no offense to you or Kardis.”

Galan chuckled at that. “Kardis is not just a fine blacksmith, Your Highness, he is a Shifter and a right powerful one. Besides changing his body shape, he can also subtly change the shape of other people or objects. Your designs were a challenge for him, but you could not have found a better smith to do it. Still, making these strained both of our Gifts. We do not think that we will be able to make a lot of these. The ammunition was a lot easier, though.”

I nodded grimly as I muttered, “Hopefully we won’t need a lot of them.”

Galan handed the smaller handgun to Jezz and gave me the larger of the two. “Both these and the larger weapon use the same ammunition. We thought that it would be easier that way, and the bullets should not be hard to mass-produce for your needs. Each clip can hold seven bullets.” He showed us the sharp, pointed bullets and a clip as he explained. “The trigger is enchanted so that once you pull it, an extremely powerful wind will be summoned to fire the bullet. They should work just as you wished them to; please give them a try.”

I pointed the weapon in my hand at one of the targets and fired a shot. My shot went a bit low since I was expecting a kick that never happened. Galan explained that it was because of an enchantment in the grips of the pistols and the stock of the rifle to counter the recoil. I guess he learned the hard way in the testing phase that these had a kick otherwise. Now, that energy was displaced to pull the next bullet in the clip into the firing chamber.

Damn, Galan was good at his job, not to mention creative, but I guess there was a reason that he was the Royal Enchanter. The handgun packed a lot more punch than I was expecting, didn’t kick like a mule, and didn’t make a sound either. I was very pleased as I took another shot, and it hit much closer to the center of the target. I gave Jezz a quick lesson on how to use a gun and proper gun safety, then both Jezz and I emptied our clips into the targets.

Turning to Galan with a grin, I told him, “These are perfect. We’ll need to work on our aim, but these should do nicely. What about the rifle?”

“The tube on the top will magnify your view as you wanted," he explained with a nod. "It has been enchanted to show you the magnified view directly in the path of the barrel of the weapon. So long as you do not twitch and have your target clearly marked in the center, you should have no problem with accuracy. To increase or decrease the magnification, you just need to think about it while looking through the tube. There are also other enchantments on the barrels of each of the weapons.”

I raised an eyebrow at this since I already had everything I wanted in these guns, and more. “What kind of enchantments?”

“There is one to ensure that the weapon doesn’t make a sound when firing, and two others on the ends of the barrels. One is a fairly basic speed spell that I have enchanted bows with before to greatly increase the momentum of the projectiles they fire. The powerful wind was firing them at a high velocity, but with this spell tripling their speed, the projectiles can travel significantly farther and faster, and have more penetration,” Galan told me, causing me to raise my brow in interest.

“Okay, that was pretty damn clever,” I told him as I looked at the gun in my hand. “What’s the other enchantment?”

The Enchanter grinned at me. “The clips you both just emptied are normal ammunition, but I have also included some special rounds. I will be color-coding them according to their effect. The second enchantment on the barrel will trigger any enchantments on the bullets to be activated when they leave the barrel. He handed me a clip and the rifle. “This clip contains one of those special rounds. Shall we all go to the top of the northwest tower? We have a wooden target floating on the north side of the lake, and I would like you to try and hit it.”

Soon, I was lying down on the top of the tower, scanning the lake through the scope of the rifle with Jezz, Patar, and Galan sitting nearby to watch me attempt to hit the target. To help with my aim, I had the rifle resting on the retractable bipod that I had requested. Finally, I saw it floating lazily in the water, halfway between the island and the far shore. It was pretty big, about the size of a rowboat, and I was pretty sure that it was going to be easy to hit. I carefully aimed, remembering to account for the lack of a kick, and fired. I was still looking through the scope when the target literally exploded. “Holy shit.”